Diet and Fitness Tips Backed by Science!

A new published report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests contaminated meats, particularly chicken, cause many of the six to eight million annual cases of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women. In fact, contaminated chicken is the cause of as many as 85 percent of UTI cases, according to the report.

The bacteria causing so many UTIs is Escherichia coli, commonly referred to as E. coli. The CDC found that chickens were becoming resistant to certain antibiotics added to their feed. This results in the growth of E. coli in the chickens; the antibiotics are virtually useless once the chicken becomes immune to it.

Although E. coli contamination typically occurs during the food manufacturing process, in this case the E. coli is actually already in the chicken itself. So, it’s not an issue of unsanitary manufacturing facilities. This makes the issue especially problematic.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is calling for chicken and meat producers to reduce the amount of antibiotics fed to the animals. The goal is to reduce the odds that the E. coli bacteria become resistant to the antibiotics. It’s not a fool-proof fix.

Choosing organic chicken free of antibiotics is one easy way to greatly reduce the odds the chicken is carrying the E. coli bug. It’s also important to wash your fruits and vegetables completely before eating and cooking your meat thoroughly to kill harmful bacteria. The CDC also suggests that all you cookie lovers out there NOT eat raw cookie dough.